Checking in at: Waterman’s Distillery, Apalachin NY

Waterman’s, open since 2017, is the only distillery in the Binghamton area. What it is they produce isn’t exactly clear to us. They call their signature product, Waterman’s White, a white corn whiskey. In other words, unaged corn whiskey, or moonshine. On the other hand, they also say Waterman’s White is grain neutral spirit. To the best of our understanding, it can’t be both. So is it vodka? Vodka can be made from corn – Tito’s is one example of a corn vodka. We didn’t taste the White straight, but we did sample it in a cocktail and there’s was no mistaking the subtle but distinct moonshine flavor.

Tom Collins: gin (not theirs), lemon juice, simple syrup, club soda.

The 607 Flavored Spirits, which begin with Waterman’s White, are probably the more important product in the Waterman’s lineup. Akin to flavored vodka, these spirits are distinguished by the infusion of real fruits and herbs (and sweetener) rather than artificial or natural flavorings (or at least that’s how we read their literature). We aren’t by any means fans of flavored vodkas but the samples of 607 Flavored Spirits we tried clearly exhibited, in most cases, intense fruit flavors, especially in the citrus examples. They make good cocktail ingredients.

Blueberry Lavender Sour, made with 607 Elderberry Lavender, Old Home Field Days Bourbon – not theirs, sour mix, and blueberry compote.

Waterman’s is housed in an old barn-like structure that once belonged to a man named Waterman. A wide-ranging cocktail menu is offered, and it’s fun sampling from up and down the menu. Some possibilities: the Black Cherry Bourbon Smash (607 Salted Caramel Maple, black cherry bitters, black cherry juice, squeeze of lime, splash of Coke), or a Lavender Old Fashioned (607 Elderberry Lavender, Old Home Field Days Bourbon – not made by them, orange bitters, sugar cube, muddled oranges). Our young female bartender was a delight!

As we write this they are about to release a new line of hard seltzer. Their visiting hours are Wednesday through Friday evenings, and most of the afternoon on weekends, but you should probably check their website or give them a call before heading out, as things are bound to change frequently with a new business.